Friday, July 31, 2015

Synopsis

To trust is to get hurt, to be loved could end in death.
Everyone sees Ash as the toughest of the Rata brothers, the tall, tattooed man who is untouchable. But not many know of his past, of a tormented youth, which almost saw him take his own life. For ten years he's lived with the nightmares of his stepfather raping him, and how it destroyed his family. Further tormented by his first love leaving him, he tries to move forward with his new partner Beth, but is unable to open up to her, his past continuing to eat away at his soul.
Beth knows Ash is keeping her in the dark, and every word he doesn't say, every secret he keeps, pushes her further into his brother's arms, someone who doesn't understand boundaries, a trait that has given Dante a wild reputation: the man every woman wants to bed. Hedonistic and uncontrollable, Dante desires Beth to the point of madness, his bipolar condition worsening with the stress of his hidden desires. He wants to control her, to take her, but he is deeply reliant on Ash, and like his brother, he hides his true nature. On the outside he shows a confident swagger that gets him the attention of both sexes, but on the inside all he wants is one woman who sees him as more than a sexual object.
Sledge, the youngest of the three Rata brothers, finds himself in a different situation, dealing with the affections of his best friend: Beth's brother Corey. Diagnosed with cancer, Corey wants Sledge more than life itself, even though he believes Sledge is homophobic and would find him disgusting if he confessed his love. But when another man shows interest in Corey, Sledge's jealousy eats away at him, and makes him reassess his sexuality, and whether he could be more than a friend to Corey - whether he could be his lover.
As the Rata family's love life is thrown into tangles, the brothers' stepfather escapes from prison with one thing on his mind: To get Ash once again. Someone he will kill for - and has killed for.
(R18)
Author's Note: Book 2 has different main characters from book 1. Due to this, you don't need to read book 1 to understand this story. Book 2 is more dark romance and family drama, while book one is street lit and social realism. Book 3 continues directly on from Book 2.

Other Books in the Series

Synopsis

Too many secrets...
When Beth receives potentially life-changing news that could ruin her future, she decides to keep it a secret from Dante, the man she hopes to marry.
But Dante has his own problems as his deepest and darkest secret is revealed when someone from his childhood reappears, a secret so disturbing that it could unravel what’s left of his already unstable mind.
Beth’s brother Corey struggles to keep his relationship with Dante’s brother a secret, scared his father will split them apart. But it’s his sister he has the most to fear from, when Beth takes advantage of his boyfriend’s vulnerable condition.
Good cop or bad cop? Saul is eaten away by guilt over what he did to Beth while undercover. No longer willing to keep the assault a secret, he heads down a destructive path that turns him into something far worse than an abuser.

Synopsis

WARNING: Rated R18. Contains sexually explicit content, both M/F & M/M.
Dante Rata learns what’s Behind the Lens in this explosive sequel to Behind the Tears.
Dante has a problem with sex – he gets way too much of it. Women want him, force themselves upon him, fight each other to get into his bed, and this ripped to the bones sex god even attracts male admirers. But when Dante discovers hidden cameras in his bedroom, he soon learns his sexual prowess is famous and the women who have been throwing themselves at him are porn actresses, paid to trick him into performing for the financial gain of an underground pornography ring - an organisation who forces people into sexual slavery. Dante’s efforts to outwit Ant Torres, the porn-ring’s instigator, ends with Dante trapped into performing live for his fans; with the threat of death to his loved ones if he doesn’t.
Dante’s brother, Sledge, also has a problem with sex – but with the same-sex. He finds himself attracted to Corey, his best mate. After Sledge is told devastating news about his family, he falls into Corey’s bed, taking him as a lover. Ashamed of what he has done, Sledge tries to hide the relationship from his family and friends, something which makes Corey feel like a dirty little secret. When he finds Sledge talking to a pair of females at a party, he flies into a jealous rage, outing Sledge in front of everyone. Humiliated, Sledge runs out on Corey, which inadvertently leads Corey to Torres’s bed, where he is made to perform for the camera.
When Corey is dropped off at home, drugged and traumatised, Sledge learns about the pornography ring and the danger his brother is in. Intent on revenge as well as saving his brother, he sets out to bring down Torres, along with his crime syndicate anyway he can – whether it takes him with it or not.

About the Author

NATIONALITY AND CULTURAL CONNECTIONS: I'm a true blue Aucklander, born and bred in New Zealand. I tend to write about cultures I have connections to, such as Croatian and Maori. I would love to visit Croatia again as I have family there. However, in My Masters' Nightmare, I have started writing about Italians. My husband is part Italian and I also have a degree in Italian.

SPORTS: As a teen my favorite sports were karate, badminton, and running. I also did unarmed combat and played in a touch rugby team (my gym teacher made me do the last one!) Now, I stick to coaching soccer and running. I have completed two marathons, numerous half-marathons and one 30K run.

CAREER PATH: I started off as a Graphic Designer, then went to Auckland University, where I got a BA degree in Art History and Italian Studies and a post-graduate Honors degree in Art History. I worked in the Art History field, then became a full-time artist, doing commissions. I eventually lost all of my senses and gave it up to be a poor, starving writer, smh.

'Mistakes are always forgivable, if one has the courage to admit them.' - Bruce Lee

Kennedy: If you learn from your mistakes, you’ll be a better person. Life is all about making mistakes. I’ve made a lot of them in life, and learned from none of them. Until now. My biggest mistake of all, was letting him go. Kye: I had it all. Money. Fame. Success. Then I lost it. I thought I finally had my life back on track when I found her. But one slip up and I lost everything. Again. Kennedy Crawley spends her days helping others conquer their demons at Hope and Chance Retreat, in Australia’s Northern Territory. After spending her life being someone even she didn’t like, she finally sought the courage to overhaul her life, dreams and aspirations. Now, she’s determined to stay on track and be a better person. Kye Austin was living his dream life as a professional football player. Until the day his sins caught up with him. He was sent to Hope and Chance Retreat to get his life back on track. After winning his battle, he decides to stay in the area and try to win the affections of Kennedy. There’s just one problem: she’s not interested.

Kasey Millstead lives a quiet life in country New South Wales, Australia, with her husband and their four young children. She enjoys baking, singing (ridiculously out of tune) & spending time with friends and family. Kasey has always harboured a deep love for reading and writing, and she is now lucky enough to be living her dream of being an Author.

Heartbreaker. I understand why I have the nickname. Hey, what can I say? I like women. All women. It doesn’t matter what shape, size, or color. I’m even into sharing. I’ve done it all, seen it all, but I’m at an all-time low. Who wouldn’t be? My best friend is missing. My uncle’s an asshole. I don’t know who I am without The Nights. We are a band of brothers, soldiering through the world with our music. Only, our faithful leader is gone, and everyone else in the band is falling for the oldest trap: love. Love is a lie. It is painful. It is hurtful. I need a break. I want to be alone. I'm not prepared to share the exclusive home on the Island. I'm not prepared for her. I don’t know who she is or why she's here. She tells me to call her Ireland. I tell her my first name only. Originally, I don’t want to believe she doesn’t recognize me. Bass guitarist for The Nights, come on? After a while we both play the game. Secrets are another form of lies, aren't they? Our fantasy will crash to reality too soon. Secrets catch up to you. The truth has to be told. It confirms what I already know: love is a lie. Until her.

With
her hand on her chest and her breasts rising and falling in great agitation, I
was able to see her big blue eyes and the sprinkle of freckles across her nose.
Her chin length blonde hair fell forward as she bent to clasp her knees and
catch her breath.

Standing
up almost as quickly as she bent over, she spoke to me through delicious
looking pink lips.

“Who
the fuck are you?” she growled.

“Who
the fuck, are you?” I returned.

“I’m…”

“You
know what, never mind. You need to go,” I said, cutting her off and reaching
for her upper arm again. “I don’t know how you got in here, where you came
from, or how you found me, but you need to go.”

I
began to tug her toward the front entry, her feet sliding in her flip-flops
across the tile flooring. She pulled back, and the force made her skid on an
angle across the slippery surface as I dragged her. She continued to glare at
me quizzically, leaning away from me.

L.L. Hunter is the author of over 20 published works, including The Legend of the Archangel Series and The Eden Chronicles. She has studied everything from veterinary nursing, forensic science, and dramatic arts, but has always known her true calling was to be an author. She has been writing since her teens - everything from fan fiction, to song lyrics, to plays and musicals. When not working on her next paranormal romance, she can be found at home in Australia, reading somewhere comfortable with one or both of her “fur babies.”

With everyone thinking I was angry, I was taking a wild guess that it would be at least thirty minutes before anyone realized I was gone. That was a good head start. From the vague vibe I was feeling from Jess and the other traitors, I was looking at covering a distance of about four miles. I ran that nearly every morning, and the time it took to get there would allow my wolf and me time to figure out what we were going to do when we got there.Cutting the bitch was what my wolf wanted to do, and I couldn't honestly say that I wasn't on board with that plan, but I was smart enough to know that I couldn't take on eight werewolves on my own. I would have to find their hideout and come back with my pack. Bringing Phoenix and his clan to watch my back in case any of my wolves were really on Jessica's side was a smart thing to do, so I would let them come, too, not that I would really get a choice in the matter; I doubted he would stay behind even if I begged him to.A loud clatter had my head whipping around to look behind me again. An aluminum trash can lay on its side, its contents spilling into the street. A tabby cat peeked around the edge of the torn trash bag and I exhaled in relief. I was a sad case, indeed. I laughed at myself. I was not used to being the monster."I aim to change that, Mena."I rolled my eyes at my wolf. "You just be you and let me be me and we'll get along just fine."Soft laughter filled my head and I had to smile. I had to admit that I liked her, regardless of how much trouble she was causing me with Phoenix. At least we had come to a compromise. I didn't know how well said compromise was going to work out, or even if it would at all, but I was willing to try. Everyone deserved a shot at happiness, even with as insane as our case may be.As I turned my head back around to continue on my journey, I ran smack-dab into the hard chest of a man. He was in shadow, so I couldn't see his face. Stumbling back, I attempted to get my balance, but his arms closed tightly around my body, jerking me to him and trapping my arms down at my sides so I couldn't move.Struggling against his solid hold on me, I opened my mouth to let out a scream, but he twisted me around and clamped a hand over my mouth so fast that I didn't know what was happening until I was being pulled backward, away from the security of the streetlights that lined the suburban road.I raised my knee up then brought my foot down hard on the toe of his shoe. He let out a muffled grunt, but continued to drag me into the shadows.This had to be one of the werewolves. The strength alone told me that. They had to have been watching my house, just waiting for me to leave. This bastard was going to kill me if I didn't do something.My wolf stirred under my skin. She wanted out and it was the first time since I'd been bitten that I agreed with that plan. With only a little more than human strength and quick reflexes, it wasn't possible for me to handle a grown male werewolf on my own.My final option, before letting my wolf free, was try to at least injure him. I hoped that would be enough to make him loosen his grip on me enough so I could run. If he gave chase, I would have to concede and let my wolf take over.Gripping the dagger tighter in my palm, I rotated my wrist and drove the blade into his side as hard as I could. An ear-piercing ululation erupted from his throat and he let go of me. I didn't wait or look back. I ran as fast as my legs would carry me, adrenaline and my wolf giving me the speed and strength to push my muscles past what a human would be able to endure."Mena… Mena!" I heard the cry behind me, but my mind wasn't registering anything except panic and the need to get as far away from my attacker as possible. "Mena—wait! It's me…" A strangled groan had me slowing. "…it's… it's Phoenix. I—I'm so sorry, Mena."I froze, not wanting to look back at the man, terrified that what he'd spoken was true. If it was—if I turned and saw those ice-blue eyes staring back at me, it would destroy any trust I had ever had in him."Please, Mena, I never meant to hurt you. I was only trying to scare you so you would realize what a stupid stunt going off on your own to find the killers was. What were you thinking?"The blood rushed through my veins at an impossible speed, and fury washed over me in waves as I stood there trying to decide whether to walk away or allow my wolf to rip Phoenix's head off. She was all for the second option.I heard him cough, and then groan in agony. I imagined he was pulling the dagger out of whatever organ I had been lucky enough to hit. There was a lot of heavy, ragged breathing and two more guttural-sounding coughs. It appeared as though I had hit a lung. Too bad it wasn't his heart! I wasn't sure stabbing him in the heart with a silver blade would kill him, but I would have put money on a bet that it would have been a hell of a lot more painful.I turned my head to glare at him, but the hatred I had expected to feel wasn't there. He had fallen to his knees, and his head was bent, his eyes focused on the bright red stain spreading across his new shirt.Shaking my head, I looked up to the sky and asked, "Why me?" After receiving no answer, I sighed and began the one-hundred-meter walk back to Phoenix.

K.S. Haigwood

Kristie Haigwood (a.k.a. K.S. Haigwood) is currently writing her 10th novel. She lives in Arkansas, US. She is the mother of 2 awesome kids and 2 great dogs. She is happily married to her soulmate who thinks reading is a solid waste of time. Opposites attract. Kristie’s works include ‘Save My Soul’, ‘Hell’s Gift’, ‘Good Side of Sin’, ‘Eternal Island’, ‘Eternal Immortality’ 'Eternal Illusion' ‘Accepting the Moon’ and 'Midnight Moonrising'. ‘My Sweet Purgatory’ and 'Andromeda's Reign are releasing soon.

Anne has written her entire life and has the boxes of angst-filled journals and poetry to prove it. She's been writing for public consumption for the last four years. Currently she is writing three romance series. In Stories of Serendipity, she explores real people living real lives in small town Texas in a contemporary romance setting. In The Four Winds, she chronicles God's four closest archangels, Uriel, Gabriel, Raphael, and Michael, falling in love and becoming human. In Pierce Securities, she gives us Ryan, Evan, Miriam, Zack, Quinten, and Simon. She lives in rural East Texas with her husband and children in her own private oasis, where she prides herself in her complete lack of social skills, choosing instead to live with the people inside her head.